In between sweater weather and tank top weather, Dallas has a few glorious months where the weather is mild, the flowers are blooming and the mosquitoes are still at bay. Springtime in Dallas is a time to be celebrated with as many outdoor activities as possible. While long hikes at the Trinity River Audubon Center and biking along White Rock Lake are perfectly acceptable outdoor activities, so is eating. Good thing Dallas has its rooftop dining game on lock to help us celebrate the season with good food and drinks. From swanky rooftop lounges to charming family-owned rooftop terraces, here is just a sample of the best rooftop dining options in Dallas.
Terilli’s – Lower Greenville
The string lights crisscrossed throughout the patio and greenery growing up the walls gives the lovely rooftop terrace a feeling like you’re in Italy. The family-owned spot is known as a hidden treasure amongst the area’s flashier restaurants. Since 1985, Jeannie Terilli has been whipping up some of the best Osso Busco, lasagna and pizza that Dallas has to offer. Her specialty – the Italchos – is a cross between nachos and pizza. While it is a crowd-pleaser, it’s Terilli’s proprietary red sauce that keeps Italian lovers coming back again and again. Well, that and the killer view of Downtown.
The Henry – Uptown
This modern, casual restaurant located on the border of Uptown and Downtown refers to itself as the “greatest neighborhood restaurant” and we can see why. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the industrial-chic terrace offers your choice of loungy sofas, high-top tables or bar stools to leisurely feast on new American food. While many restaurants limit their rooftop menu to a few simple appetizers, The Henry does not. Short rib pot stickers, butter-poached king crab, grilled prime skirt steak and squash salad are just a few of the items available for those who want to eat while people-watching the hustle-and-bustle of Downtown Dallas.
Gallery Rooftop Lounge– South Dallas
From the sixth floor terrace of the Canva Hotel Dallas, diners can enjoy what is quite possibly the most iconic view of Downtown Dallas. The panoramic view of the city skyline is best viewed during sunset. The chic setting with its infinity pool stretching out to the downtown buildings, drink menu full of Ice Wine pops and endless Instagram photo ops definitely has pool party vibes on the weekend. During the week, however, it is the perfect place to grab a table, order fish tacos, fungus flatbread or shrimp ceviche and watch the sunset over the best city in the world.
STIRR Dallas – Deep Ellum
This modern American rooftop restaurant might only be two stories off the ground, but it still offers great views of Deep Ellum. The lunch and dinner menus offer tasty contemporary dishes like flatbreads, jalapeno double-cut pork chops, short rib melt, blackened Texas redfish and fried chicken cobb salad. The friendly ambiance and ideal backdrop make it a go-to spot for company lunches, happy hour bites after work or dinner before a big night out in Deep Ellum. Think a spring storm might blow in? Not to worry. The restaurant’s retractable roof and windows make it the perfect setting no matter the weather.
HG Sply Co – Lower Greenville
It is not often you can find a restaurant that will satisfy both your vegan and paleo friends, but HG Sply Co does just that and it has an amazing patio to boot. Arguably Lower Greenville’s busiest restaurant, the menu at HG (Hunter Gatherer) Sply Co is loaded with paleo-friendly options like bison chili, grilled Wagyu sirloin, grilled chicken breast and lamb meatballs.
Vegans and vegetarians need not worry because the menu also sneaks in vegan chips and queso, beet poke and quinoa meatballs for those on a plant-based diet. Specialty drinks like the HG Mule with vodka, agave, lime and ginger kombucha will satisfy everyone’s palate. The rooftop menu is limited making it the perfect place to start with appetizers and drinks before heading downstairs for the main course.